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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23635837">Princess Ellinor and the hunter Demjin</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lynn_Forster/pseuds/Lynn_Forster'>Lynn_Forster</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>SoC One Shots - Slices of life after Crooked Kingdom [5]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Six of Crows Series - Leigh Bardugo</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>#COVIDSOCONTEST, Babysitter!KazPart2, Everybody Lives, F/M, M/M, Post-Book 2: Crooked Kingdom</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 19:40:25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,866</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23635837</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lynn_Forster/pseuds/Lynn_Forster</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>This story is written for #COVIDSOCONTEST - WINNER</p>
<p>Kaz has occasionally taken care of Nina and Matthias' daughter in three years, but he has always been able to avoid the little girl's favorite games.<br/>He won't be so lucky, this time... </p>
<p> </p>
<p>USUAL WARNING: English is not my first Language</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>(mentioned) - Relationship, Jesper Fahey/Wylan Van Eck, Kaz Brekker/Inej Ghafa, Matthias Helvar/Nina Zenik</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>SoC One Shots - Slices of life after Crooked Kingdom [5]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1662850</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>54</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Princess Ellinor and the hunter Demjin</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Kaz Brekker missed his kingdom.<br/>
He missed the Barrel, he missed his business, he even missed the grey sky and the sad, busy streets of Ketterdam.<br/>
He had spent a week in Os Alta, half of his “not-so-appreciated vacation”: the city was bright and full of life and Nina and Matthias’ home was large and cosy, but he would have gladly left everything of that, if it’d permitted him to go back to his old apartment in that exact moment.<br/>
He wasn’t made for that. The only reason he hadn’t run away yet was the tiny Suli girl who was sitting on the large, red sofa, with their three-year-old niece on her lap, combing her dark hair in a braid. Trassel was laid on the huge, round carpet, a few inches from Inej’s feet.<br/>
Kaz sighed, leaning against the door frame of the living room.<br/>
<em>“Here we go again” </em>he thought.<br/>
It wasn’t the first time he and Inej had to babysit Nina and Matthias’ daughter, he had gained some experience during those years – he was even the proud composer of an original lullaby – but he knew babysitting would never become one of his favourite jobs.<br/>
Children were so... childish...<br/>
- Uncle Kaz!<br/>
He shivered, awakening from his thoughts: there was something threatening in Inej’s voice and glance. Definitely not a good sign...<br/>
- Yes? – he answered, with a little hesitation.<br/>
The young Suli grinned: - Aenya wants to play a game. We would love for you to participate.<br/>
The Bastard of the Barrel narrowed his dark eyes: - Which game?<br/>
Aenya jumped down from Inej’s lap, clapping her little hands: - Princess Ellinor!<br/>
Kaz moaned: princess Ellinor was her favourite character from the bedtime tales Matthias told her, a warrior lady who protected the wolves, killing hunters.<br/>
He had always been able to avoid that game, giving Jesper the pleasure to play the idiot villain who got knocked down by the princess, but that day Jesper and Wylan had joined the little girls’ parents for a “Pregnancy Shopping” themed afternoon, so he had no escape.<br/>
- What is our quest today, Ellinor? – asked Inej, going immediately into her part. She would have obviously played princess Inee, Ellinor’s beloved companion.<br/>
Aenya’s big blue eyes fixed on Kaz. An evil grin curled her lips: - Today hunter Demjin kidnaps Inee. She is strong and fast, but he is a demon. I must save her.<br/>
- Hunter Demjin? – Kaz hissed. – Seriously?<br/>
- Kidnap her – Aenya ordered. – Take her to your cave, in the loft.<br/>
Kaz snorted: he approached the young woman, answering to her malicious fleer with a killer glance, then, he cautiously took her into his arms, wincing when she surrounded his neck with her own tiny arms.<br/>
He struggled against the temptation to sink his nose into her long, dark hair and he felt his stomach on fire when he realized how close her smile was to the corner of his lips.<br/>
There were two floors between him and the loft, two floors without his cane and with Inej in his arms, but he knew, somehow, her wonderful scent and the warm air of her breath on his jaw would have helped him to ignore all his pains.<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
- Are you okay?<br/>
The loft was large and clean and tidier than everyone would have expected. Kaz thought that was a clear sign of Matthias’ presence in that house.<br/>
He was panting a bit, but it was even harder for him to put Inej down, parting from her tiny, warm body.<br/>
- I’m fine – he grumbled.<br/>
- There are some old chairs here – the young woman noticed. – We can take one of these.<br/>
The leader of the Dregs frowned: - Take one of these? For what?<br/>
- We’re still playing, Mr Grumpy – she grinned. – You have kidnapped me, remember? I will sit on this one and... do you have something to tie my wrists with?<br/>
Kaz snorted: he had a clean, expensive handkerchief in the upper pocket of his jacket. He hated the idea of sacrificing it for that stupid game, but he hated more the idea of Inej’s disappointed face.<br/>
His hands trembled a bit, while he started wrapping the handkerchief around her thin wrists.<br/>
- Am I... uh... am I doing it well? I mean... is it too tight ?<br/>
Inej turned her head, looking at him over her own shoulder. Her smile made his brain melt for a while.<br/>
- It’s perfect.<br/>
He tried to reply something, but Aenya’s shrill voice, echoing from the lower floor, made every word die into his throat.<br/>
- Inee! Are you here?<br/>
- I’m here, Ellinor! – Inej replied, trying not to laugh. – Help me!<br/>
- I’m coming!<br/>
The little girl reached the threshold of the loft, Trassel by her side. She was holding a toy axe in her left hand and a toy sword in the right.<br/>
- Here I am, Demjin! – she said, with a menacing expression. – I killed all your minions and I put their heads on spears!<br/>
She threw him the sword: - This is your weapon. Fight me, now!<br/>
- Are you giving me a weapon? – Kaz frowned, picking the toy. – This isn’t a great move.<br/>
- You must have a weapon – she insisted.<br/>
- Oh, right. Fjerdan honour. – he replied. – Fine, princess. I’ll fight you!<br/>
- Kaz – Inej whispered. – Remember she’s just a child...<br/>
Aenya ran to him, yelling like a warrior during an assault, her axe raised. Kaz easily blocked her attack with the sword and disarmed her in a single move.<br/>
- Okay, I won.<br/>
Aenya widened her ice blue eyes, looking at the axe which laid on the floor, then she raised her glance to meet Kaz’s. Behind him, Inej snorted.<br/>
- You must not win! – the little girl protested. – You are the villain!<br/>
- Oh, well, sometimes it happens, villains can win too. I bet uncle Jesper always lets you win, as well as I bet your father teaches you that only honourable, good people deserve to succeed, but, you know what? The truth is that life is not fair, princess.<br/>
- Oh, seriously? – Inej hissed. – Are you seriously sermonizing a three-year-old girl who just wants to play her favourite game?<br/>
- She needs to know – Kaz replied, calmly. – If no one teaches her, then I’ll have to...<br/>
He paused, noticing the angry expression on Aenya’s face. The little girl raised her hands, stretching her arms towards him: - You. Must. Not. Win!<br/>
Dirtyhands shook his head and opened his mouth to tell her not to be so childish, but, suddenly, he felt his legs stiffening, like he was trapped into a block of ice below his hip bone. The toy sword fell from his hand.<br/>
- Wh-What’s happening? – he grunted. – What are you doing?<br/>
- I defeat you, Demjin! – she replied, turning her head to the big white wolf who had stood quietly behind her all that time. – Trassie!<br/>
She told him something in Fjerdan. Kaz wasn’t able to give a literal translation to her command, but he guessed the general meaning.<br/>
- Hey, no, no, don’t you dare t-...<br/>
Trassel growled playfully and jumped, making the Bastard of the Barrel fall on the floor and laying onto him before he could do anything to react.<br/>
Kaz struggled and grumbled below the weight of the large animal, but he immediately froze when Aenya said: - Don’t move or I tell Trassie to lick you! I know you hate it!<br/>
He shivered in disgust, resting his nape on the floor and giving up: - Fine.<br/>
The little girl clapped her hands: - Demjin is dead! Trassie is eating him! I’m coming, Inee!<br/>
Inej tried hardly not to laugh, ignoring Kaz’s furious glance: - I knew you would have saved me, Ellinor!<br/>
Aenya untied the knot of the expensive handkerchief, letting it fall on the floor. Kaz swore internally.<br/>
- You are free, Inee.<br/>
- Thank you, Ellinor - Inej replied, standing up from the chair. – You’re so brave and strong. I’m so lucky to have you by my side.<br/>
The little girl blushed visibly, then, she knelt on the floor: - I love you, Inee. Will you marry me?<br/>
- WHAT? – Kaz yelled, making Trassel wincing. – Are you serious? You wanted to defeat the villain in an incredibly unrealistic way and now this? A marriage?<br/>
Aenya stood up and looked at him, an angry expression on her cute features. She took the pillow from Inej’s chair and used it to hit the criminal’s face: - Shut up! You are dead, Demjin! You ruin my moment!<br/>
- She’s right, Demjin – Inej echoed. – Dead demons cannot speak.<br/>
The young man grunted, trying to avoid his neck being tickled by Trassel’s soft fur.<br/>
Aenya put the pillow down and knelt again: - Inee, will you marry me?<br/>
Inej knelt too, taking the child’s little hands in hers: - Yes, I will, Ellinor.<br/>
The child’s face was enlightened by a huge, bright smile: - I am so happy! We will marry tomorrow!<br/>
Kaz sighed, raising his eyes to the ceiling. Suddenly, Trassel started moving his ears and stood up, turning his muzzle to the open door of the loft.<br/>
He barked happily and ran out of the room, going downstairs.<br/>
Inej smiled: - I think the guys are back.<br/>
- They are! – Aenya shouted. – I go to tell mama, papa, uncles and my little sibling what I did.<br/>
- Be careful going downstairs, honey – Inej recommended, kneeling near to her partner as the little girl followed the wolf’s steps.<br/>
Kaz sat up on the floor, giving the Suli an annoyed glance. She smiled, handing him something white and silky: - Your handkerchief.<br/>
The young man took it, grunting: - My handkerchief.<br/>
Inej sighed placing a hand on his shoulder: - Come on, Kaz, don’t be so peevish.<br/>
- Peevish? – he hissed. – I had to play a silly game with a child who doesn’t accept defeat, mistreat my valuable handkerchief and what else? Oh, I had to lay under a huge, heavy wolf who breathed on me all the time and... don’t you dare to laugh, Inej Ghafa!<br/>
- I’m not laughing – she lied, clearing her throat. – Oh, by the way... there has been a moment, when you tried to convince Aenya that villains can win too...<br/>
- My legs have been blocked for a while – he finished. – Yes. She has obviously used Grisha magic on me. Well, she did it instinctively, due to her rage, but she did it.<br/>
- I didn’t know she had powers – Inej smiled. - I mean, I knew that was possible, but Nina has never talked me about that. It could have been the first time Aenya has manifested her magic!<br/>
- Oh yes, and she did it on me! – he replied, with a sarcastic smile. – That’s so sweet! It would be adorable if she broke my bones, one by one, don’t you think? Come on, let’s use uncle Kaz as a moving target!<br/>
Inej raised one of her dark eyebrows: - Don’t be so overdramatic. You’ll have to think twice before preaching to a child who just wants to play her favourite heroine, next time.<br/>
- Bold of you to think there will be a next time.<br/>
- What?<br/>
The young woman made a disappointed expression: - What a pity! I hoped you would have played with us again tomorrow... you are a perfect villain...<br/>
Kaz turned his head, looking into her beautiful dark eyes: - Is it a compliment?<br/>
Inej smiled, giving him a quick kiss on his cheek: - Some kind of.<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hi everybody, sorry if I'm a bit late with my updates.<br/>I took the occasion to add a new story to my collection taking part to the #COVIDSOCONTES organized by @inej_ghafa_ and @pekka_rollins on Instagram.<br/>Hope I did a good job, sorry if my English isn't perfect.<br/>Thanks for reading,</p>
<p>Lynn</p></blockquote></div></div>
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